A year after going 12-5 and achieving the most wins in the Army program since 1993-94, the Black Knights sprinted out of the gate this year with a pair of wins and a tie. Army, idle since defeating East Stroudsburg, 27-7, on Dec. 7, opened the season with an impressive 19-19 tie versus nationally-ranked Hofstra.
A 44-0 blanking of Franklin & Marshall immediately preceded Army's 20-point win over East Stroudsburg as the Black, Gold and Gray finished the first half of the 2005-06 season with an unbeaten mark.
Army performed well in its early season tournament competitions as well. The Black Knights registered a third-place showing at the season-opening Oklahoma Gold/Brockport Classic, before taking sixth at the Body Bar Systems Invitational. A plethora of Army grapplers were able to test their skills against some tough competition and it allowed Black Knight head coach Chuck Barbee the opportunity to fine-tune his starting lineup.
Junior 133-pounder Frank Baughan leads all Army wrestlers with 15 wins. Senior team captain Patrick Simpson, who moved up to 149 pounds this season, lists second on the team with 14 victories.
Army will be facing Oklahoma State for the first time when the two squads clash Thursday. The Black Knights will be taking on Northern Iowa for the second time. The Panthers lead the series 1-0 on the strength of a 27-14 victory earned during the 1988-89 season.
Following Thursday's matches, Army will travel to Arlington, Texas, to compete in the ninth annual Lone Star Duals this Saturday (Jan. 7). Army will face Stanford and Chattanooga at the highly-competitive event, which always welcomes some of the finest wrestling programs in the country.
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